COMPOSERS: Colin Steele
LABELS: Caber
ALBUM TITLE: Colin Steele
PERFORMER: Colin Steele (t), Julian Arguelles (ts, ss), Dave Milligan (p), Brian Shiels (b), John Rae (d)
CATALOGUE NO: 24
In Twilight Dreams, Scottish musician Colin Steele has made a superlative quintet album. The five musicians are all virtuoso players and mature artists, and trumpeter Steele composed all 11 beautifully crafted pieces, with arrangements done by pianist Dave Milligan. Steele is a magnificent trumpeter with a round, crisp sound in the middle register and singing high notes. As with Chet Baker, he plays like a singer, making every note count.
All of the compositions are inspired by various events in Steele’s life and, as all five musicians seem conversant with the blues, the music projects a wide range of intense emotion. The title track is a lyrical piece with a poetic secondary theme. ‘The Sidestep’ is a jig-inspired dancing piece with tricky melodies, a rocking drum rhythm and a brilliant unaccompanied piano solo. The rhythm section functions superbly and Julian Arguelles and Steele solo marvellously.